Discover the power of dung beetles

Dung beetles play an important role in agriculture by burying and consuming dung that leads to improved nutrient cycling, improved soil structure and reducing habitats for flies being just a few of the benefits.

In this BeefConnect webinar recording join John Feehan, Australia’s foremost dung beetle expert, as he unpacks the incredible role these tiny eco-warriors play in agriculture. In this engaging session, you’ll learn:

✅ How dung beetles naturally reduce buffalo fly populations, improving cattle health and cutting treatment costs.
✅ The environmental and economic benefits of managing dung accumulation, including healthier pastures and enriched soil fertility.
✅ The fascinating story of the CSIRO dung beetle project and its ongoing success through Soilcam.
✅ Practical tips for harvesting and distributing dung beetles to climate-suited regions across Australia.
✅ How dung beetles contribute to sustainable farming through carbon sequestration and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

This webinar recording outlines a natural, cost-effective solution to some of agriculture’s toughest challenges (e.g. flies, animal health, and production costs). Whether you’re a farmer, land manager, or simply curious about sustainable practices, this is your chance to learn from the best and make a positive impact on your land and livestock.

You can watch the full recording or use the playlist below to jump to the start of a particular section within the presentation. (46:10; published 14 November 2025 by FutureBeefAu).

Download a copy of the presentation – The Power of Dung Beetles (PDF; 6.91 MB)

Additional resources:

• The Dung Beetle Expert – John Feehan (Webpage)
• Introduced dung beetles typically suited to northern Australia (Soilcam)
• Dung Beetle benefits (video – Soilcam and Southern Queensland Landscapes)
• Improving Soils (video – Soilcam)
• Soils for life (video -Soilcam)

Full recording

Playlist

1. Discover the power of dung beetles
2. Agenda and background
3. The problem (in the early days)
4. Cattle population explosion
5. The unintended consequences (Buffalo fly)
6. The unintended consequences (polluted paddocks)
7. The unintended consequences (waterways and oceans)
8. The unintended consequences (Bush fly)
9. The unintended consequences (internal parasites)
10. The unintended consequences (greenhouse gas emissions)
11. CSIRO Dung Beetle Project
12. Soilcam (leaders in dung beetle distribution)
13. Starter colonies distributed (2020-2025)
14. Harvesting and distributing dung beetles
15. Chemicals and dung beetles
16. What goes on below the surface?
17. Introduced dung beetles typically suited to Northern Australia
18. Sampling and identifying existing dung beetles
19. Purchasing introduced dung beetles
20. Wrap up: The power of dung beetles (video)